Whitpain Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XL
ARD Age-Restricted Development Overlay
§ 160-267 Legislative intent.
In expansion of the community development objectives contained in Article III, it is hereby declared to be the intent of this article with respect to ARD Age-Restricted Development Overlay to overlay and supplement the existing or hereafter created underlying districts, to encourage the redevelopment of legally nonconforming commercial facilities on residentially zoned properties with uses more compatible with adjacent residential uses; to provide for needed residential facilities for the elderly; to assure the suitable design of such facilities and uses in order to protect the environment of the adjacent and nearby neighborhoods; and to insure that such uses will take place only when served by adequate public infrastructure. The protective standards in this article are intended to minimize any unanticipated adverse impacts of an independent/assisted living/personal care home on nearby premises.
§ 160-268 Requirement to qualify for overlay.
In order to qualify for the ARD Overlay, the land which is proposed for development must be located within the ARD Overlay depicted on the Township's Zoning Map.
§ 160-269 Permitted uses.
In the ARD Age-Restricted Development Overlay, a building or a combination of buildings may be erected or used, and a lot area may be used or occupied, for any of the following purposes and no other:
§ 160-270 Independent/assisted living facility/personal care home development regulations.
All independent/assisted living facility/personal care home uses in the ARD Age-Restricted Development Overlay shall be developed in accordance with the following regulations:
A.
Area and width, independent/assisted living/personal care home. The lot on which an independent/assisted living/personal care home facility is to be located shall not contain less than six acres, shall contain no less than 4.5 developable acres and shall have a width of not less than 500 feet measured along the building line of any building.
B.
Lot coverage, independent/assisted/personal care home. The total area covered by buildings, parking lots and vehicular accessways of the independent/assisted living/personal home care development shall not exceed 50% of the developable lot area. The remaining area shall be used for and maintained as green area. No more than 10% of this remaining area may be covered by blacktop, concrete or similar impervious material, which shall be used for nonvehicular purposes only.
C.
Height. The maximum height of any independent/assisted/personal care home shall be two stories.
D.
Density, independent/assisted/personal home care. The maximum number of bedrooms or beds permitted shall be determined based upon the following ratio: The number of any combination of one- and two-bedroom units for any project shall be determined based upon the ratio of 1.30 beds per 850 average gross square feet of building maximum. In no event shall an independent/assisted living/personal care home exceed a total of 110 bedrooms in each independent/assisted living/personal care home.
E.
Yard requirements.
(1)
Independent/assisted/personal care home.
(a)
Front. The minimum depth of a front yard of an independent/assisted/personal care home shall be 50 feet, measured from the ultimate right-of-way line of the street on which the building fronts.
(b)
Side. For each independent/assisted/personal care home building, there shall be two side yards of not less than 20 feet each.
(c)
Rear. There shall be established for each independent/assisted/personal care home building a rear yard of at least 50 feet in depth.
F.
Parking. One parking space shall be provided per independent living development unit and 0.70 space per assisted living/personal care home unit.
G.
Buffering of parking. Parking areas for the independent/assisted/personal care home shall be buffered from all buildings by at least 10 feet of open buffer. Parking areas shall be at least 15 feet from all property lines, except when abutting a residentially zoned district, in which case parking shall be at least 50 feet from the property lines.
H.
Building standards.
(1)
Rear and side facades shall be of finished quality and shall be of a color that is similar to the front facade and blend with structures within the development. All buildings shall have a common and coherent architectural theme throughout the development.
(2)
Building facades along any public street or right-of-way shall be interrupted at least once every 100 feet by an offset in the façade of the building of two feet from the face of the adjacent building façade.
(3)
A minimum of 25% of the surface area along a public street must be covered with masonry veneer, stone or similar material and shall include the use of stucco, siding, and other similar material with complementary colors for the siding and use of contrasting color at window and door trim and exterior fascias.
(4)
Rooflines shall be varied to add visual interest and to reduce the scale of larger buildings. No roof slope shall be less than a slope of 3:12 and no greater than 6:12 for main roofs. Gables and other accent roof areas including dormers shall be no greater than 8:12 pitch.
§ 160-271 Active adult housing development conditional use standards and criteria.
[Added 10-17-2023 by Ord. No. 4-263]
The Board of Supervisors may permit active adult housing development uses in the ARD Age-Restricted Development Overlay, provided that the following standards and criteria are satisfied:
A.
Area and width. The lot on which an active adult housing development is to be located shall not contain less than 4 1/2 developable acres fronting on the primary road, providing main access to the development, and shall have a width of not less than 500 feet measured along the building line of any building.
B.
Green area. The portion of the lot on which an active adult housing development is located, outside of the portion of the lot set aside as deed-restricted open space, as set forth herein, shall be provided with a minimum green area of 35%.
C.
Deed-restricted open space. Not less 60% of the lot on which an active adult housing development is to be located shall be used for and maintained as deed restricted open space composed of pervious surfaces set aside for the growing of vegetation, including lawn area, trees, shrubs, grasses, plants, flowers and also including lakes, ponds, streams and other natural features, on which passive recreational activities improvements may be constructed or installed and used by the occupants of the active adult housing development and their invitees. The deed-restricted open space may be owned and managed by the homeowners' association of the active adult development, a nonprofit trust, or a conservancy.
D.
Floodplain and hydric soils.
(1)
Where a lot on which an active adult housing development is to be located is subject to the Floodplain Conservation District, as defined by § 160-168, or an area of hydric soils, and such lot contains a minimum of 4,000 square feet of preexisting impervious surface areas and fixtures in the Floodplain Conservation District or areas of hydric soils, an active adult housing development may contain a maximum of 4,000 square feet of impervious surface and fixtures in the Floodplain Conservation District or areas of hydric soils as a credit for the preexisting impervious surface areas and fixtures located in the Floodplain Conservation District or areas of hydric soils, provided this does not include any buildings or structures. The said maximum of 4,000 square feet of impervious surface and fixtures to be located in the active adult housing development may be located anywhere in the Floodplain Conservation District or areas of hydric soils located within the active adult housing development with the approval of and in the sole discretion of the Township Engineer.
(2)
Should there be no impervious surface or fixtures located within such area and the impervious surface of the lot is to be reduced by the development, the Board of Supervisors may permit as part of a conditional use approval construction of impervious surfaces or fixtures within such areas not to exceed a maximum of 4,000 square feet and shall not include any buildings or structures.
(3)
All pavement material installed in the Floodplain Conservation District or areas of hydric soils pursuant to this section shall be pervious.
E.
Height. The maximum height of any active adult housing development shall be 50 feet.
F.
Density. An active adult housing development shall not exceed a maximum of 90 dwelling units.
G.
Yard requirements.
(1)
Front. The minimum depth of a front yard of an active adult housing development building shall be 90 feet, measured from the ultimate right-of-way line of the street on which the building fronts. The minimum depth of a front yard of an accessory structure of an active adult housing development shall be 40 feet, measured from the ultimate right-of-way line of the street on which the accessory structure fronts.
(2)
Side. For each active adult housing development building there shall be two side yards of not less than 20 feet each.
(3)
Rear. There shall be established for each active adult housing development building a rear yard of at least 50 feet in depth.
H.
Parking. One parking space shall be provided per each bedroom to be located in an active adult housing development.
I.
Buffering of parking. Parking areas shall be buffered from all buildings by at least 12 feet of vegetated area. Parking areas shall be at least 15 feet from all property lines, except when abutting a residentially zoned district, in which case parking shall be at least 50 feet from the property lines.
J.
Building standards.
(1)
Rear and side facades shall be of finished quality and shall be of a color that is similar to the front facade and blend with structures within the development. All buildings shall have a common and coherent architectural theme throughout the development.
(2)
Building facades along any public street or right-of way shall be interrupted at least once every 100 feet by an offset in the facade of the building of two feet from the face of the adjacent building facade.
(3)
A minimum of 15% of the surface area along a public street must be covered with masonry veneer, stone or similar material and shall include the use of stucco, siding, and other similar material with complementary colors for the siding and use of contrasting color at window and door trim and exterior fascia.
(4)
Rooflines shall be varied to add visual interest and to reduce the scale of larger buildings. No roof slope shall be less than a slope of 1:12 and no greater than 24:12 for main roofs. Gables and other accent roof areas, including dormers, shall be no greater than 12:12 pitch.